Being a step ahead in building a simple shed can help speed up the process. A SketchUp model can give you that step ahead by clarifying the planning, parts and procedure for a very basic yet functional backyard shed.

You don’t have to be a building-science expert to know that trapped moisture is bad for houses. To help slow moisture diffusion through roof, wall, and floor assemblies, many experts—and in some parts of the country, building codes—demand the use of vapor retarders. Across the building industry, however, the term vapor barrier is commonly used in place of vapor retarder. This misuse raises the question of whether the two terms categorize the same products and whether those products have the same performance traits.